Former for wrapping web material around an article



ec. 24, 1968 J. J. GREVICH 3,417,544

FORMER FOR WRAPPING WEB MATERIAL AROUND AN ARTICLE Filed Aug. 22. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JO/M/ J." qee'wcy A TTOZ/VEPI? FORMER FOR WRAPPING WEB MATERIAL AROUND AN ARTICLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22. 1966 16 1i x If] I I l I I I I I I A l 16 2 1N VEN TOR.

JOHN J. away/c 3! ATTOZ/ EVS Dec. 24, 1968 J, J, GREVICH 3,417,544

FORMER FOR WRAPPING WEB MATERIAL AROUND AN ARTICLE Filed Aug. 22. 1966 3 he ts-Sheet A INVENTOR. JOHN J. geswm/ mwu ATTOZA/EVS United States Patent 3,417,544 FORMER FOR WRAPPING WEB MATERIAL AROUND AN ARTICLE John J. Grevich, Star Prairie, Wis., assignor to Doughboy Industries, Inc., New Richmond, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 573,898 10 Claims. (Cl. 53-180) This invention relates to an apparatus for wrapping a web of material onto a series of articles, and more particularly relates to a former for shaping and directing the web of material around such articles.

In the past, wrapping apparatus for forming a substantially continuous web of sheet material around a succession of articles have required a rather complicated and cumbersome form of construction to effectively encompass the article with the web of material. It has been necessary to pay particular attention in prior art devices to the edges of he web of material so that the edges confront each other without laying back against the surface of the article and out of confronting relation with each other. Such formers as have been previously known have had substantial limitations as to the nature and weight of material that could be handled and the speed of operation has been limited by the manner in which the formers could handle the material.

.With these comments in mind, it is to the elimination of these and other disadvantages that the present invention is directed, along with the inclusion therein of other novel and desirable features.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved wrapping apparatus of simple and inexpensive construction and operation for encompassing a series of articles with a substantially continuous web of sheet material.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a new and novel forming apparatus for effectively wrapping a series of articles in a web of sheet material and causing the edges of the material to confront each other beneath the article without being caused to lie back against the bottom of the article during sealing theerof.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the wrapping apparatus and embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the former.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the former.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail section view taken on a vertical plane substantially at 55 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view taken on a vertical plane substantially at 66 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail section view taken approximately at 77 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail section view taken approximately at 8-8 in FIG. 1.

One form of the present invention is shown in the drawings and is described herein.

The wrapping apparatus includes a former indicated in general by numeral 10, a conveyor indicated in general by numeral 11, web propelling and sealing apparatus indicated in general by numeral 12 and a substantially continuous web 13 of heat sealable material such as polyethylene or any of a number of synthethic or paper sheet materials, which may be supplied from a roll.

The web 13 of material is guided over a roller 14 and from the roller is directed obliquely downwardly to the 3,417,544 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 horizontally oriented former 10. The former 10 is constructed of a rigid panel 15 of metal, such as stainless steel. The entire panel 15 is flat and planar and is shaped and grooved for functional purposes as described hereinafter.

A pair of upright guide plates 16 and 17 have mounting brackets 16a and 17a, which are affixed to the panel 15 as by screws. The guide plates 16 and 17 are normal with respect to the plane of panel 15, and lie parallel with each other in the direction of travel of the articles A. The distance between the guide plates 16 and 17 approximates the width of the articles A, as seen in FIG. 5.

The guide plates 16 and 17 have web engaging and guiding edges 16b and 17b extending obliquely with respect to the plane of panel 15 so as to engage the web 13 of wrapping material and carry the web downwardly of the articles A passing therebetween, as seen in FIG. 8, the guiding edges 16b and 17b of the guides extends to the bottom surface 15a of the panel 15 so that the web 13 being guided is transferred from the plates 16 and 17 to portions of the panel 15 for subsequent guiding, as hereinafter clearly defined.

Articles are delivered into the space between the guide plates 16 and 17 by the conveyor 11 which in the form shown comprises an endless chain 18 trained about sprockets 19 and carrying article pushers or lugs 20 which project upwardly through the elongate slot 21 in the panel 15, and as seen in FIG. 2, deliver the articles A along the panel 15. Similarly, the lugs 20 of the conveyor project upwardly through a similar slot 22 in a supply panel 22a disposed in approximate edge to edge relation with the panel 15. The portions 23 of the panel 15 lying between the upright guide plates 16 and 17 support the articles A being moved under influence of the conveyor 11.

The panel 15 has enlarged open areas 24 and 25 adjacent and outwardly from the guide panels 16 and 17 for receiving the side portions of the web 13 therethrough, which are then guided to a position beneath the panel 15. The portions 26 and 27 which are disposed immediately outwardly of the upright guide plates 16 and 17 define web guiding edges 26a and 27a at the forward portions of the enlarged open areas 24 and 25. The guiding edges 26a and 27a extend to the lower ends of guiding edges 16b and 17b of the upright plates 16 and 17 respectively, and as seen in FIG. 4, the edges 26a and 27a diverge with respect to each other forwardly in the direction of travel of the articles A.

Portions 28 and 29 of the panel 15 define web guiding edges 28a and 29a which extend into substantially end to end relation with the web guiding edges 16b and 17b respectively of the upright guiding plates 16 and 17. It will be seen that the edges 28a and 29a converge with respect to each other in the direction of travel of articles A and into close proximity with each other adjacent the forward end of the panel 15. As a result of the substantially end to end relation of edges 28a and 2901, with the guiding edges 16b and 17b of the upright plates 16 and 17, the web 13 of material smoothly transfers from the upright plates to the panel 15 for guiding beneath the articles A being carried along these portions 28 and 29* of the panel.

It will be seen that the panel 15 defines an elongate article supporting tongue 30 in the area between the converging edges 28a and 29a so as to support the articles A until the surface areas of the panel portions 28 and 29 are sufficiently broad as to adequately support and guide the articles. The tongue 30 is continuously spaced from the edges 28a and 29a by narrow slots 30a and 3%, thereby permitting free passage of the web of material therealong.

It will be noted that conveyor lug receiving slot 21 extends forwardly into the tongue 30 and substantially along its entire length, thereby allowing the conveyor 11 to extend to the forward portion of the tongue 30. The articles A are thereby propelled under influence of the conveyor 11 until the articles are sufliciently encompassed and gripped by the web 13 as to be subsequently carried in the direction of travel under the influence of the web.

The tongue 30 lies substantially in the same plane with the adjacent portions 2-8 and 29 of the panel 15 and it is desired to maintain this relationship as to permit continuous ready and easy transfer of the articles A from the portions 23 and tongue of the panel 15 to the portions 28 and 29 thereof. A rigid bracket 31 underlies the end of the tongue 30 and the adjacent portions of the panel 15. The ends of the bracket 31 bear upwardly against and are affixed to the panel 15 as by screws 31a. An upright post 32, comprising a part of the bracket 31 bears upwardly against the end portion of tongue 30 and is afiixed thereto as by screws 32a.

It will be noted that all along the web carrying slots 30:; and 30b, the portions 26 and 27, 28 and 29, of the panel have open and unobstructed bottom surfaces 15a as particularly seen in FIGS. 57 so as to permit the edge portions of the web 13 to freely pass therealong as these edge portions are being moved transversely beneath the articles being wrapped.

The web propelling and sealing apparatus indicated in general by number 12 includes, in the form shown, rotary sealing wheels or rollers 33 and 34, the rollers are disposed adjacent to each other, in side by side relation so that the peripheries thereof engage the downwardly turned edge portion 13, of the web of heat sealable material, and by means of the pressure applied and heat supplied as by resistance heaters 35, the edge portions of the web are sealed toegther to confine the articles in the wrapper. The sealing rolls 33 and 34 apply pressure to the edges of the web, apply heat and thereby seal, and also contribute a driving function to the web of material, which may be supplemented by other conveying medium after the articles and web have passed by the sealers 12 in the direction of arrow B.

Rotary motion of the rollers 33 and 34 is supplied from a motor 36 or other source of power which drives through a speed controlling mechanism 37, the output of which is applied to the rollers 33 and 34 and also to one of the sprockets 11a of the conveyor, thereby coordinating the velocity of the mechanism so as to drive the articles A and the web of wrapping material in the desired predetermined relationship with each other.

It will be seen that as the conveyor 11 carries a succession or series of articles A into the former 10, the web 13 of wrapping material is supplied over the roller 14 and downwardly at an oblique angle so that the guides 16b and 17b engage the web well inwardly from the transverse edge of the web and in close proximity with the opposite side of the articles A traveling between the plates 16 and 17 under influence of the conveyor 11. When article A is moving into the area between the plates 16 and 17, the central portion of the web 13 is laid upon the top of the article and thereafter because of the co-ordinated velocities of the articles and web, there is essentially no relative movement.

The guides 16b and 17b carry the web downwardly along the sides of the article A, and the web is ultimately carried by the guides 16b and 17b to the level of the bottom surface 15a of the panel 15.

As the web and article progress further along the former 10, the guiding and manipulating of the web is effected, adjacent the plate 16, by the edges 26a and 28a; and adjacent the plate 17 by the edge 27a and 29a. The edges 26a and 27a smoothly guide the extreme edge portions of the web 13 to underlie the plate 15 and bottom surface 15a thereof.

As the article A passes along the progressively diminishing tongue 39, the support of the article is gradually transferred to the panel portions 28 and 29, and these panel portions, together with their corresponding edges 28a and 29a progressively carry the web 13 transversely across and beneath the article A.

It will be seen that approximately at the end of slot 21 in the tongue 30, at which point the conveyor 11 ends, the edges 28a and 29a will have drawn the side portion of the web transversely across the bottom of the article sufliciently as to cause the web to tightly grip the article A and subsequently convey the article A along the former 10 and toward the sealer 12 independent of the influence of the supply conveyor 11.

It is to be particularly noted that the edge portion 13:: of the web depends from the bottom of the article in confronting relation with each other without the need for or help of any guiding medium underlying the panel 15. The open and unobstructed area beneath portions 28 and 29 of the panel 15 minimize the likelihood of any mutiliation or other forms of damage to the edge portions of the web. The depending and confronting edge portions 13a of the web are then carried unto sealer 12, as illustrated.

It will be seen that I have provided a new and improved sealing apparatus for wrapping a succession or series of articles within an elongate and substantially continuous moving web of wrapping material and being of a heat scalable nature. The careful manipulating of the Web and the corresponding handling of the articles being wrapped permits efiicient wrapping at high speeds. The Wrapper may be severed between the articles and may be sealed transversely so as to completely confine each article into an individual wrapper.

It will, of course, be understood that Various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is: 1. A former for wrapping a web of material around an article traveling in a predetermined and generally horizontal direction,

comprising a pair of elongate substantially parallel and rigid guides spaced from each other to receive the article therebetween, said guides extending obliquely downwardly in said direction to receive the web of material thereunder and carry the web downwardly of said article moving therebetween,

generally horizontal panel means supporting the article an manipulating the web of material, said panel means including a first portion adjacent said guides and supporting the article traveling therebetween,

said panel means also including second and third portions spaced from said first portion in the direction of travel to receive the article therefrom, said sec- 0nd and third portions having juxtaposed web guiding edges in substantially end to end relation with said rigid guides to receive the web therefrom, the juxtaposed edges of said second and third portions converging with respect to each other in the direction of travel and carrying the web of material beneath the article moving therealong, until the edges of the web confront each other and depend from the article to be sealed together.

2. The former according to claim 1 and said first portion of the panel means includes an elongate tongue projecting between the said guides and between said juxtaposed web guiding edges and carrying the article to said second and third portions of the panel means.

3. The former according to claim 1 wherein said panel means also includes fourth and fifth portions respectively adjoining said second and third portions and disposed transversely outwardly from said guides, said fourth and fifth portions having web guiding edges in substantially end to end relation with said rigid guides and extending outwardly from the guides and transversely of said predetermined direction, whereby the edge portions of the web material are controllably guided to underlie the article being wrapped.

4. The former according to claim 3 and wherein the web guiding edges of said fourth and fifth portions diverge relative to each other and relative to said prede termined direction outwardly from said guides, whereby to control the tension on the edge portions of the web as the web is guided beneath the article.

5. Apparatus for Wrapping a web of scalable material around a succession of articles traveling in a predetermined and generally horizontal direction,

comprising a pair of elongate substantially parallel and rigid guides spaced from each other to receive the article therebetween, said guides extending obliquely downwardly in said direction to receive the web of material thereunder and carry the Web downwardly of said articles moving therebetween, generally horizontal panel means supporting the article and manipulating the web of material, said panel means including a first portion adjacent said guides and supporting the article traveling therebetween.

said panel means also including second and third portions spaced from said first portion in the direction of travel to receive the article therefrom, said second and third portions having juxtaposed web guiding edges in substantially end to end relation with said rigid guides to receive the web therefrom, the juxtaposed edges of said second and third portions converging with respect to each other in the direction of travel and carrying the web of material beneath the article moving therealong and until the edges of the web confront each other and depend from the article,

and a sealer spaced from said panel means in the di rection of travel and gripping and moving the depending edges of the web as said depending edges are sealed together.

6. The wrapping apparatus according to claim 5 and said second and third portions of the panel means having unobstructed bottom surfaces adjacent said edges to permit the guiding of the web therealong without interference.

7. The wrapping apparatus according to claim 6 and the sealer including a pair of side by side rotary members with cooperating peripheries gripping and sealing the depending edges of the web.

8. Apparatus for wrapping a web of heat scalable material around a series of articles traveling in a predetermined and generally horizontal direction,

comprising a pair of elongate substantially parallel and rigid guides spaced from each other to receive the article therebetween, said guides extending obliquely downwardly in said direction to receive the web of material thereunder and carry the web downwardly of said articles moving therebetween,

generally horizontal panel means supporting the articles and manipulating the web of material, said panel means including first portion adjacent said guides and supporting the articles traveling therebetween,

said panel means also including second and third portions spaced from said first portion in the direction of travel to receive the articles therefrom, said second and third portions having juxtaposed Web guiding edges in substantially end to end relation with said rigid guides to receive the web therefrom, the juxtaposed edges of said second and third portions converging with respect to each other in the direction of travel and carrying the web of material beneath the articles moving therealong until the edges of the web confront each other and depend from the articles,

a sealer spaced from said panel means in the direction of travel and gripping and moving the depending edges of the web as the seal between said edges is produced.

and a conveyor propelling articles to and beyond said guides in said predetermined direction, the end of the conveyor being disposed adjacent the converging edges of said second and third portions of the panel means whereby the encompassing web of material grips and conveys the articles delivered by the con veyor.

9. The wrapping apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said first portion of the panel means has an elongate slot extending between said guides,

and said conveyor including article engaging lugs projecting through said slot and carrying the articles therewith and to said second and third portions of the panel means to be encompassed by the web.

10. The Wrapping apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the first portions of said panel means includes an elongate tongue extending between said juxtaposed and converging edges of said second and third panel portions, said slot extending into and along said tongue whereby the articles are carried by the conveyor therealong the second and third portions until the web is guided beneath the articles into encompassing and gripping relation with the articles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,605,597 8/1952 Scheib 53--182 2,882,662 4/ 1959 Campbell 53l82 3,007,295 11/1961 Heinzer 53180 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 53-209 

1. A FORMER FOR WRAPPING A WEB OF MATERIAL AROUND AN ARTICLE TRAVELING IN A PREDETERMINED AND GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION, COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND RIGID GUIDES SPACED FROM EACH OTHER TO RECEIVE THE ARTICLE THEREBETWEEN, SAID GUIDES EXTENDING OBLIQUELY DOWNWARDLY IN SAID DIRECTION TO RECEIVE THE WEB OF MATERIAL THEREUNDER AND CARRY THE WEB DOWNWARDLY OF S AID ARTICLE MOVING THEREBETWEEN, GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PANEL MEANS SUPPORTING THE ARTICLE AND MANIPULATING THE WEB OF MATERIAL, SAID PANEL MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST PORTION ADJACENT SAID GUIDES AND SUPPORTING THE ARTICLE TRAVELING THEREBETWEEN, SAID PANEL MEANS ALSO INCLUDING SECOND AND THIRD PORTIONS SPACED FROM SAID FIRST PORTION IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL TO RECEIVE THE ARTICLE THEREFROM, SAID SECOND AND THIRD PORTIONS HAVING JUXTAPOSED WEB GUIDING EDGES IN SUBSTANTIALLY END TO END RELATION WITH SAID RIGID GUIDES TO RECEIVE THE WEB THEREFROM, THE JUXTAPOSED EDGES OF SAID SECOND AND THIRD PORTIONS CONVERGING WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND CARRYING THE WEB OF MATERIAL BENEATH THE ARTICE MOVING THEREALONG, UNTIL THE EDGES OF THE WEB CONFRONT EACH OTHER AND DEEPEND FROM THE ARTICLE TO BE SEALED TOGETHER. 